David Gest
| image = David Gest.jpg | gender = Male | born = May 11, 1953 | died = April 12, 2016 | age = 62 (at time of death) | hometown = Los Angeles | occupation = Producer | series = Celebrity Big Brother 17 | entered = Day 1 | exited = Day 13 | status = Walked | nominations = 1 | evictions = 0 }} David Gest was a housemate in Celebrity Big Brother 17. He entered the House on Day 1 before walking away from the house on Day 13 due to medical issues. Background David produced the highest rated musical television special in history, Michael Jackson: 30th Anniversary Celebration: The Solo Years in 2001 which was the last reunion of Michael Jackson and the Jacksons in 17 years and Jackson's last solo concerts. He appeared on the 2006 series of the British reality television show I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out Of Here! and became the first American to have three prime-time series in the UK. He frequently made tabloid headlines during his marriage with Liza Minnelli. Celebrity Big Brother 17 On Day 5, David directed and produced Big Brother's talent show, which Stephanie Davis eventually won. On Day 7, controversy surrounded David after Tiffany Pollard mistook that he had died of cancer whilst in the House. Angie Bowie was informed earlier in the day that her ex-husband David Bowie had died, and when Angie informed Tiffany of the news, she misunderstood him for David Gest and subsequently caused panic and confusion amongst the other housemates. On Day 8 and 9, David decided to sit out of the Pull My Strings shopping task on advice from Big Brother, after he felt unwell. Profile Why did you want to do CBB? I stayed away from TV for a few years because I haven’t wanted to do that. I love producing and I love performing live, I’ve been doing that for the last three years. I’ve just finished a tour of 24 dates in the UK and played to over 200,000 people. So I love performing live and I love producing films, TV shows and doing other things. I never looked to be a TV star, it was a fluke. But I think this is a really fun show, it’s interesting and I hope that what I can bring to it is the humour. Do you still tell tall stories? They’re all true. I will be telling lots of stories about my cousins and my family and so they’re in for a lot of fun moments. I have thousands of cousins, and I’ll be talking about my childhood in Taiwan. What kind of housemate do you think you’ll be? I think I’ll be caring about the people. You know, I’m not looking here for confrontation and I won’t put up with it. It’s not why I’m doing it. I have no desire to win this, I couldn’t care less about that. At 62, it’s not going to change my life one way or the other. I think people go “I’ve got to win this”, but it’s not the attitude to have. It’s to go in and have a great time and make it a fun experience. That’s what I want to do, I want to entertain the audiences and make them laugh and that’s what I’m about. Am I going to sit and do bitchiness and arguments? No. That’s not what they are going to get from me, because I’ll tune out. It’s very easy for me to tune out. So if there’s a big argument going on, that’s what you’ll do? I’ll tune out, but if they come to me and ask how do I feel, I will look at it realistically and say you’re in this situation, you’re in this environment, I think you need to learn to get along because it’s a game and when the game’s over you want to be dignified. What do you think of the rumoured line-up? I know quite a lot of them. I’m hoping that the Americans this time represent themselves more like the Brits. British people don’t talk about how much money they earn or thing they’ve obtained. It’s kind of boring. Farrah Abraham did not make the best impression. And I can’t even talk about Perez Hilton. What about the British housemates? Daniella is a really talented actress. Nancy I’ve known for years. You have quite an eclectic group of friends, don’t you? Yes. I was always friends with Michael and Tito Jackson and now I have a younger friendship group. I’m friends with all sorts of footballers, and Kym Marsh is like a little sister to me. I’m friends with Liam Gallaghe r, too. When I got back from the jungle, I was with Matt Willis from Busted at a restaurant, and this guy came over and gave me a big hug and asked me to come over to his table and then I was invited to his wife’s birthday party. I didn’t even know who he was. There was someone from the Prodigy, and we all became friends. I respect him as a musician. I like Pete Doherty from the Libertines too. He’s an amazing guy. I’ve lived such a different live, from the days of Elizabeth Taylor, Bette Davis, Robert Mitchum, and someone whose name I can’t remember – life is a cabaret, old chum! Is there anything you’re going to miss while you’re in the House? I’m going to miss being able to get into my own bed, and watch a good movie, or put on a CD. But this is an experience and if I only last the first week, then that’s fine. I’m really not in it to win it. Death On April 12, 2016, David was found dead in his room at the Four Seasons Hotel in East London's Canary Wharf district. The police stated that his death involved no suspicious circumstances. After his death, it was revealed that Gest had been addicted to gambling; with friends reportedly saying that he had accumulated debts of up to £500,000 in the months before his death. Gest's funeral service was held at Golders Green Crematorium on April 29, 2016. His fellow Celebrity Big Brother 17 housemates Kristina Rihanoff, Gemma Collins, Stephanie Davis, Jeremy McConnell and Christopher Maloney all attended the service. His ashes were later scattered in York. Category:Celebrity Big Brother 17 Housemate Category:Male Housemate Category:Housemate Category:Walker Category:Deceased